Massage device



Dec. 26, 1967 P. KOBLER 3,359,588

MASSAGE DEVICE Filed Dec. 14, 1964 q/ Zz/im INVENTOR.

United States Patent The invention described here relates to massageheads used on hand, electrical or mechanical tooth brushes. Theprincipal object of the invention is, to make the massage head moreeffective, especially when it comes to clean and massage the areabetween two teeth.

Another object of the invention is to make the teeth of the massage headbase protruding, in order that they overlap the side of the massage headbase, thereby making them more flexible, as they are not fenced in byneighboring massage teeth.

When .all teeth stand vertical in a row, the next effective tooth pointmay be at a very short distance in the second row. While if every othertooth of the massage head base is slantingly protruding crosswise to thelength of the massage head base, and overlapping its side, the distanceand flexibility of two effective tooth points is greater.

Therefore the possibility that such a tooth point goes or bendseffectively into the space of two adjoining human teeth is much greater.This is an important unexpected result, because first, other teeth donot interfere with its flexibility and secondly because the row of theside overlapping teeth gets first in contact with the human teeth, whensaid massage brush is used in its down massage motion from the gums tothe teeth.

A further object of the invention is that the massage head may have atapered base whereby its beginning may be more narrow than its end.Because to massage the last teeth in the mouth of a person a narrow baseis better than a wider one.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a massage head slipped into the end of atoothbrush handle.

FIG. 2 is a top view of such :a massage head.

FIG. 3 is a cross section of one end of the massage head while FIG. 4 isa cross section of the other end of the same massage head.

FIG. 5 is an enlargement of a slightly different embodiment of such amassage head.

FIG. 6 is a cross section of another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a cross section of another embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a top view of a massage head.

By referring to the drawings and FIG. 1 it will be observed that part 1is the massage head attached to the brush handle 2. Part 1 is preferablymade out of slightly resilient material. Part 1 consists of a base partwith an opening 3 in it, which opening is the means to hold the brushhandle 2.

The massage head base carries on top massage teeth 4 and 5 in a fewrows. The teeth 5 are shown on a somewhat higher level than the teeth 4of the first row. This is possible through the greater width 6 of thetooth brush handle 2. It also may be seen that this greater width 6 goesonly part way into the opening 3 of the massage head base. Therefore thefirst row of teeth 4 and the rows in back of it are at the same lowerlevel, at one end of the massage head base.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of such a massage head. 2 is part of the brushhandle. 7 and 8 are teeth on the massage head. Only 4 vertical uprightand 4 teeth slanting outwardly are shown. Dots 9 indicate where theother teeth have their bases on the massage head. If all teeth would beupright, as seen in FIG. 3 the distance between two teeth tops would bethe distance of 2 teeth. That is, the teeth of the second row couldprevent the teeth of the "ice first row to go sufficiently between theopenings of two adjoining teeth in the mouth of a person. However inFIG. 2 as well as in FIGS. 4, 5, 6, and 7 we see that the first row ofteeth is overlapped bythe second row of teeth, thereby making thedistance of two teeth tops twice as large. As seen in FIG. 2 thedistance of the teeth tops from the teeth of the first row to the teethof the second row is not anymore the distance from 1 tooth to the other,as for instance from 7 to 8 in FIG. 2 it is now a double distance,because the second row teeth overlap the first row teeth. In thedistance of the overlapping teeth we see the double distance. In FIG. 4we have a somewhat different embodiment as there, in the first row ofteeth, every second tooth is bent outwardly, which gives the same effectby teeth overlapping as the teeth positions in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment where the base of the teeth is partlyhorizontal and partly round. The overlapping of the second and 4th rowteeth with the first and last row teeth is caused by the different shapeof the teeth base. In this embodiment we have another new feature. Thecore of this massage head in FIG. 5 is seen as an opening 10. Thisopening 10 is made to hold a massage brush handle end. As the materialof the massage head is flexible, this brush handle end may be twistedinto another position. The different positions being given as (a), (b),and (0). Accordingly the teeth base would change its shape and the teethwould go from an overlapping position into a straight upward position.

In FIG. 6 we see the teeth base evenly rounded whereby also the twomiddle rows of teeth stand somewhat slanting while the two outside rowsare overlapping each other. It can also be seen that the teeth of thetwo middle rows 11 and 12 stand a little higher on the rounded base 13,than the two outside rows of teeth.

In FIG. 7 the base of the teeth 14 has again an entirely differentshape, whereby always 2 rows of teeth out of the eight rows of teeth,overlap each other. We have now overlapping teeth in positions 15, 16,17 and 18. And besides the teeth of positions 16 and 17 stand higher upthan those of positions 15 and 18. It has to be understood that theeffect of the teeth on a massage brush on the teeth in a human mouthdepends on the height and position of the teeth on said massage brush.Accordingly the tips of the teeth on the massage brush may give astronger or softer massage on the gums of the human teeth and may cleanthe space between the human teeth more effectively. As mentioned before,the distance between two teeth tops on the massage brush is veryimportant, other- Wise one tooth tip will prevent the next tooth tipfrom entering sufliciently into the space between two human teeth.

In FIG. 8 we see the top view of a massage head 19 with a brush handle2. The brush handle 2 however goes only about two thirds into themassage head. As far as the brush handle 2 goes into the massage head19, the surface of that massage head 19 is partly rounded. However thesurface of the last third of said massage head, where the brush handleend 2 does not change its shape, the top surface, indicated by 20,remains horizontal. The effect on the teeth on said massage head surfaceseen as 19 and 20', would be teeth straight up and teeth partly slantingand overlapping. The overlapping being illustrated in the FIGS. 2, 4, 5,6 and 7.

In operation the massage head handle is held by one hand and preferablydipped first into some water or some water poured over the teeth of themassage head base. The bases of the massage teeth being sufficientlynear together in order that by capillary action some water drops remainbetween the teeth, which makes the massaging of the teeth and gums veryagreeable. The massage brush in its motions is used like a tooth brushand does not only polish the teeth to such a degree, that toothpowder isactually unnecessary, but also massages the gums, whereby the bloodcirculation in the gums is increased and the result are stronger andhealthier teeth.

One ofthe objects of the invention is to double the distance between twoteeth points. It has to be explained therefore how this produces anunexpected result. If we take the first row of teeth, all very neartogether and then the second row of teeth, also very near together andpreferably each tooth of the second row situated between the opening oftwo teeth of the front row, it is obvious that none of all the teeth ofthe first and second row can actually go between the opening of twoadjoining human teeth. That means there, where cleaning is mostnecessary it does not take place at all, as each tooth of the first andsecond row of teeth on the massage brush prevents any tooth point toprotrude further than the adjoining teeth points.

Thus, in operation, all the teeth points of the massage brush touch allthe teeth in the human mouth evenly, and none of the teeth points of themassage brush has a chance to go further between the space of two humanadjoining teeth. However as seen in FIG. 2, the teeth of the second roware inclined outwardly and protrude between the opening of two teeth inthe front row, all these protruding and outwardly slanting teeth go deepinto the space of two adjoining human teeth and polish and clean theteeth surfaces. While formerly the distance of a tooth point of thefirst row and a tooth point of the second row was the normal distance ofadjoining massage teeth, thus forming like a solid wall against thehuman teeth, now with the outwardly slanting massage teeth of the secondrow, the distance between one slanting tooth point and the next slantingtooth point is about twice the distance which we had formerly from onetooth point of the first row to the adjoining tooth point of the secondrow. With the bigger distance between the massage teeth points, theseteeth go deeper between the human adjoining teeth. We have with it animportant unexpected result.

What I claim is:

1. In a massaging device the combination of a resilient body having alengthwise opening therein, a thin wall on the underside of the opening,a plurality of teeth with pointed ends projecting from the upper side,opposite said thin wall, said teeth arranged in a plurality of rows,where by at least one row having teeth crossed by the teeth of theadjoining row of teeth, said teeth of the overlapping adjoining rowinclined outwardly and crosswise over the side edge of the resilientbody and inclined in the direction away from a middle line of saidresilient body with at least the teeth of the adjoining inner row.

2. In a massaging device the combination of a resilient body having alengthwise opening therein, a thin wall on the underside of the opening,a plurality of teeth with pointed ends projecting from the upper side,opposite said thin wall, said teeth arranged in a plurality of rows,whereby at least one row having its teeth crossed by the teeth of theadjoining teeth, said teeth of the adjoining teeth inclined outwardlyover the side edge of the resilient bodybase and inclined crosswise inthe direction away from a middle line of said resilient base body.

3. In a tooth and gum massaging device the combination of a resilientbase body having a lengthwise opening therein, a thin wall on theunderside of the opening, a plurality of teeth with pointed endsprojecting from the upperside opposite said thin wall, said teetharranged in a plurality of rows, whereby at least one row having itsteeth crossed below the pointed teeth ends by the teeth of the adjoiningrow of teeth, said teeth of the overlapping adjoining row inclinedoutwardly and crosswise over the side edge of the base body, in adirection away from an imaginary middle line, the rows of teeth beingdisplaced relatively to each other in order that the teeth of the secondrow will go between the opening of two teeth in the front row, with eachoverlapping tooth end sufliciently spaced from the next overlappingtooth end, their pointed projected ends not prevented by neighboringteeth to enter for cleaning purposes into the space between two humanteeth.

4. The device described in claim 3 wherein, the surface of the massagehead base holding the massage teeth includes a beginning area of a flattop surface and a continuing top area of a rounded surface.

5. The device described in claim 2, wherein, the beginning of the flattop surface area of the massage head base is preferably more narrow inits width than the remaining top surface area.

6. The device described in claim 2, wherein the teeth carrying topsurface of said massage head base consists in cross section of severalhorizontal and adjoining slanting top surfaces, causing the massageteeth to stand overlapping each other in a few adjoining teeth rows.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,764,130 6/1930 Vardeman 15188 X1,892,068 12/1932 Metzler 15-l 10 2,079,728 5/1937 Arnold.

2,139,245 12/ 1938 Ogden 15-1 10 X 2,155,473 4/1939 Coleman 15167 X2,176,309 10/ 1939 Love et al.

2,219,753 10/1940 Seguin 15l-88 CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

P. FELDMAN, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A MASSAGING DEVICE THE COMBINATION OF A RESILIENT BODY HAVING ALENGTHWISE OPENING THEREIN, A THIN WALL ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE OPENING,A PLURALITY OF TEETH WITH POINTED ENDS PROJECTING FROM THE UPPER SIDE,OPPOSITE SAID THIN WALL, SAID TEETH ARRANGED IN A PLURALITY OF ROWS,WHEREBY AT LEAST ONE ROW HAVING TEETH CROSSED BY THE TEETH OF THEADJOINING ROW OF TEETH, SAID TEETH OF THE OVERLAPPING ADJOINING ROWINCLINED OUTWARDLY AND CROSSWISE OVER THE SIDE EDGE OF THE RESILIENTBODY AND INCLINED IN THE DIRECTION AWAY FROM A MIDDLE LINE OF SAIDRESILIENT BODY WITH AT LEAST THE TEETH OF THE ADJOINING INNER ROW.